Monthly Archives: May 2007

Eddie Harris – Get On Up and Dance

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Eddie Harris

Get Up and Dance 45

Eddie Harris – Get On Up and Dance from the Atlantic 45

Before I get into my usual rant, I want to give a huge shout out to all of you (and you know who you are) that stepped up and made this past Tuesday the biggest day in Flea Market Funk history. Thank you all, and thank you to my beat combination partner Funky 16 Corners, for the great selections on that last mix. I’m going to try and do a short mix once or twice a week, and for now if you can not download from the links on the right, I’ve put some mixes up on Podomatic , which you can subscribe to and download from there also. That being said, let’s get into some more music shall we? I’m gonna get on over to Chi-town tonight and visit with Eddie Harris.

“Just plug me in just like I was Eddie Harris” was of course a line made famous by the Beastie Boys on “Check Your Head”. I can thank those guys for turning me on to this jazz saxophone player, funk and rock experimenter, and all around music legend. I immediately ran and grabbed Les McCann and Eddie Harris “Swiss Movement” after that. For me it was a brilliant record, and “Compared to What” to this day gets me amped, despite it’s length. Starting off early in life, once again in the church, Harris played the piano, clarinet, and saxophone. He studied the vibraphone under the legendary band director Walter Dyett. His Army duty landed him in an Army jazz band in Germany, where he then went on from there to record for Vee-Jay, Columbia, RCA, and then eventually for Atlantic. He was the first jazz musician to score a Gold Record for his soundtrack work on “Exodus ” in 1961. It’s at Atlantic where he made the greatest impact throughout his career, experimenting with different music styles (and his electric saxophone that contained many different pieces, mouth pieces and attachments). Along the way, it was this very experimentation, his moving from Jazz to Soul to Rock and Blues, that defined his music and constant work ethic. He invented a reed mouthpiece for the trombone, trumpet, and coronet that made all three instruments a lot easier to play. “I’m an experimentalist”, Eddie said in Down Beat magazine. “I like to get into new things to break new ground. My mind is always probing for different things and different sounds. I’ve never been one to let my mind stagnate.. If I didn’t experiment with music, it would mean nothing to me.” Coming right from the mouth of a genius. He was also the first musician to bring public the electro Voice Creation for the Selmer Instrument Company called the Varitone. The man was constantly experimenting and pushing the boundaries of different genres, while always remaining a true jazz musician. Although he was not always taken seriously as a jazz musician, labeled as a gimmick by some, IMHO Harris just “did his thing”, not letting himself be labeled, and pushed his career where he wanted, trying and incorporating a lot of musical styles along the way.

“Get On Up and Dance” is a tune that starts off softly, with some jazz notes, and grows to be a piece of Jazz Funk that beckons you to get into it and get involved; in the dance that is. It’s 1975 people, and this country is on the verge of Disco. Harris does not go there just yet and opts for this Jazz Funk, borderline R & B groover instead. Some bebop horn stabs weave in and out of the baseline, while the chant of “Get On Up and Dance” is infectious. This tune is by no means the best Harris has to offer (and the Lp it came from was given horrible reviews), but for me it illustrates the man’s range (Jazz to Blues to R& B to Funk and Soul), his influences, and definitely his no fear of experimenting with music. I mean, isn’t that what it’s all about? Harris continued to perform up until his death in 1996. There have been many best of reissues of his, but this one sums it up for me: Artist’s Choice: The Eddie Harris Anthology. More to come this week, so Keep Diggin’!

Beat Combination Mix: Flea Market Funk vs. Funky 16 Corners!

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Mackie FMF
Everyone can enjoy a three day weekend, whether you go away, or just sit and relax with some much needed down time away from work. I chose the latter this time, but I am ready to go on a mini vacation soon (fingers crossed). I hope everyone’s holiday weekend (to those of you here in the States) was as relaxing and productive as mine. To anyone that has missed the last few posts, I talked about a Funk and Soul Summit with the one and only Funky 16 Corners and FMF, which would ultimately end up as a double podcast. Fueled by Caribbean food from Sister Sues’s, we put together a little two part mix for the people, entitled Beat Combination – Beats and Treats from the Vault. We did the mix live, in one take, and definitely had a great time putting it together. You might notice some familiar (or not so familiar) drops (thank you Pro Tools) throughout, but you know for the first official collaboration we had to come correct.

Here’s the deal: Go on over to Funky 16 Corners and download Part 1. The track listing will also be posted over there. Come back here and download Part 2. Listen. Repeat. Enjoy. We both dug deep into the crates to pull out these records for this special mix. Everything from Rare Grooves, Deep Funk and Soul, Hammond Groovers, some Modern Funk, and a few obscure tracks to keep you moving and grooving while you start your week. (Thank You DJ Bluewater for the Jake Wade and the Soul Searchers 45!!!!) This is the first of many mixes between Funky 16 Corners and Flea Market Funk, so keep your ears open for the next mix. Give us some feedback and let us know what you think. Keep Diggin’!

Beat Combination Mix - Beats and Treats from the Vault Part 2

Beat Combination Mix – Beats and Treats From the Vault Part 2

Here’s the Track List for Part 2:

Part 2

Jorge Ben – Ponta de Lanca Africano (Umbabarauma)/ Sire
Carla Whitney – War/ Jazzman
Soulful Strings – Zambezi/ Cadet
The Impressions – We’re a Winner/ ABC
Charles Bradley and the Bullets – This Love Ain’t Big Enough For the Two of Us/ Daptone
The Equals – Black Skinned Blue Eyed Boys/ Shout
Manu Dibango - New Bell/ Atlantic
Eddie Bo – Rubberband/ Night
Alvin Cash – Alvin’s Bag/Toddlin’ Town
Lou Courtney – Do The Thing/ Riverside
The Superlatives – I Don’t Know How (To Say I Love You) Don’t Walk Away/ Westbound
Dorothy Ashby – Soul Vibrations/ Cadet

Willie Hobbs – Yes My Goodness Yes

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Willie Hobbs

Yes My Goodness Yes

Willie Hobbs – Yes My Goodness Yes on Silver Fox 45

Happy Memorial Day weekend everyone. I’m hoping that since my last post of Lou Rawls by now you’re all in a pair of flip flops, Bermuda shorts and a straw hat, eating something delicious off the grill, while imbibing some cold refreshments. Now these refreshments could be some home made iced tea or perhaps a Miller High Life (the champagne of beers). Whatever it is you’re drinking and eating, let me encourage you all to do something this weekend that involves some good old barbecuing. With that being said, let’s move on over to the next gem I have up on the turntable. This record, (and I apologize already for you people who dig on complete record scans), was dug up with the name scratched off of the label. It was common back in the day for DJs to get rid of record labels, whether they soaked them in the bathtub to remove the label, put a totally different label on to confuse rival DJs, or just scratch it out so it was illegible. That’s not what I’m doing here at FMF folks, I want to spread the word about these records, so I hear you when you say: “Pres: Where’s the label man?” My only answer is to ask Steve, who thought he was cool enough to have his name over Willie Hobbs “Yes My Goodness Yes” on Silver Fox Records from 1969. **(If anyone has a proper scan, feel free to send it to me and I will gladly credit the digger-thanks!)

A subsidiary of the SSS powerhouse label (Check out this Compilation some on the SSS label at Dusty Groove), this Nashville based label turned out some funky soul by Hobbs, Bettye Lavette, Rueben Bell, and Hank Ballard among others. Run by the off the wall Lelan Rogers of International Artists Records fame (along with the man who succeded Sam Phillips at Sun Records one Shelby Singleton), this Texas psychedelic label man put out some decent Soul in the late 60′s. It’s here we find Willie Hobbs.

Hobbs ran the circuit, he was on the Soft, Sound Plus, Le Cam, Mercury, Bandit, and Silver Fox Labels. This man could slang some Soul people. “Yes My Goodness Yes” is a perfect example. Starting out with a guitar groove and subdued organ, Hobbs defines the word Funky Soul on this cut. If he had any reserves about his woman on this track, it is not apparent. He’s as confident in his woman as the backing band is tight and in the pocket. With some Southern style Soul horns, and Hobbs pouring his heart of this funky track, it’s a wonder that this record (and label for that matter) have been underground Soul classics. A compilation was released in 2005 entitled Yes My Goodnes Yes, Soul Treasures from the Silver Fox Label, which I can not recommend enough.

This weekend is going to be a monumental one. I’ll be doing a live mix with the one and only Funky 16 Corners . We will be both picking out some ripe records from both of our crates and collaborating on a two part podcast. This will be the first of hopefully many double podcasts here at FMF. The pocast will be up in it’s entirety by the beginning of the week on both of our blogs, so please keep your ears and eyes open for it. Enjoy your weekend people, and Keep Diggin’!

Lou Rawls – Season of the Witch

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Lou Rawls
Lou Rawls
Season of the Witch

Lou Rawls - Season of the Witch on Capitol Records

While I get ready for a nice long weekend coming up, I’d like to give someone props (I don’t know who it is), who put me up on the Ninjatune Record board and promoted FMF as well as my “Special Request” Reggae Mix – Rare Gems from the Vault. Also, big shouts to the people talking me up on the net, I’ve been getting pings from all over the place. Muchas Gracias. Almost two months of FMF and the family is growing in leaps and bounds. Thanks again for all your support.

Sometimes you come across a record by an artist and you just think, there is no way that there can be an ounce of funk or soul in this record or person at all. Most of the time it’s true, but then there is that time when you get a record by said artist and the thing hits hard. Case in point with this one right here: a Lou Rawls oh so funky cover version of “Season of the Witch” on Capitol Records. The song was originally done by Donovan. Lou had come through before with another cover of “You Made Me So Very Happy”, a Motown classic. I should have known that the record would be great due to the fact it was produced by the mighty Ax. This is a guy who’s drum production hits harder than a Mike Tyson uppercut, David Axelrod. I first came across “Season” as a recommendation from DJ Prime (of Prime Cuts. Ltd. Fame, not the Prime who plays the Jersey Shore bars) while we were digging. I picked up the 45, but unfortunately it was scratched to shit, and try as I might, I couldn’t get the skips out. Then something great happened a couple of years later. We were going through about 10,000 records in someone’s basement (and enjoying watching this couple argue about why they should or shouldn’t keep them), and there was another copy, this time on Lp. Of course I snatched the thing up before the wife could change her mind. She wouldn’t sell me any James Brown records (because they are so rare and he just died…um yeah), nor would she part with Clarence Carter’s “Snatching It Back”. I did manage, however, to get the copy of “Season of the Witch” I had been looking for, and it wasn’t scratched to shit. Apparently the couple could part with some records. Looking back I got some great stuff, and a pretty clean copy of Sly Stone’s “Rock Dirge”, which will be for a later review.

Sometime back, the Funky 16 Corners did a review, so feel free to click on over there and check on Lou’s history a bit more. Now, I would never have thought Lou Rawls could have been so funky. Boy was I wrong. He had done a good job crossing over from gospel, to a more secular sound in Jazz, Soul, and Pop. This particular track is not your typical “mother’s record collection” you might have thought he could put out. (Don’t get me wrong, dude put out some decent records and was a class act, but I’m speaking about some straight up Mom music.) You know the records, right next to the Alan Sherman and Andy Williams Lps. The track itself starts out with some funky Hammond, blazing right into a decent drum break. For those not familiar with the Axe, his drums are in the words of the Soul Strut masses: unfuckablewith. Lou croons and grooves this cover into close to 6 minutes. The track itself is surrounded by so much smoothness (besides Sweet Lou). From the hard hitting drums mixed in with the organ, some soulful saxophone and a fuzzy guitar, Lou sheds his pop crooner image and shines. I found the Lp in my Needs to Be Listened To pile, and I had actually forgot about picking it up. The 45 turned up while I was putting together a mix, and I just could not do a review of the song. I’m hoping you’re enjoying the midweek goodness from Mr. Lou Rawls, so Keep Diggin’!

Junior Murvin – Roots Train No. 1

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Junior Murvin

Scratch

Roots Train No. 1

Junior Murvin – Roots Train No. 1 on Black Art 45

It’s nice to have a weekend off. A few days to get caught up on some rest and relaxation, dig a bit, and finish up a mix. I’m hoping the “Special Request – Reggae Gems from the Vault gave you a few tunes that you enjoyed. The samples I used as drops were artists like Peter Tosh, Augustus Pablo, Mad Professor, Gregory Isaacs, and a handful of quotes from the requisite Reggae movie “Rockers.” I figured I’d keep the Reggae vibes flowing this weekend and visit a song that I’ve been a fan of for a long time, but finally got my hands on in a recent dig. The record I’m referring to is “Roots Train No. 1″ by Junior Murvin, produced by Lee “Scratch” Perry.

Known best for the Perry produced “Police and Theives” (out on Island Records and the “Rockers” soundtrack, covered most notably by the Clash), the falsetto rootsman backed by the super producing of the original Upsetter left Mervin with this to say: “Lee Perry’s 4 tracks sound like 8 track, some time it sound like 100 track”. It’s true, and the thunder sound coming out of Black Ark Studios was present until the day Scratch decided to burn it down. But that’s a whole different story. Junior started at a very young age singing Soul covers (as so many Jamaican artists did to imitate the sounds from America) and graduated to singing along side Reggae greats Dennis Brown, Max Romeo, and Carlton and Familyman Barrett among others. A chance audition introduced him to Scratch at Studio One, but when Coxsone Dodd encouraged Murvin to add additional lyrics to his song, Murvin walked. He went on to perform and score a few smaller hits, and reconnected with Lee Perry in the mid 70′s. Perry was now up and running the aforementioned Black Ark when Murvin stepped back into the picture. “Police and Theives” was his biggest record, but “Roots Train No. 1″ wasn’t too shabby either. With Perry running his production magic throughout the track, it’s hard not to get up and skank a bit when this riddim train comes through the station. To board this train you must be “righteous and clean”, croons Murvin. So Perry had exorcises whatever demons were around them through this Dub track and the they can now go “to a land where everything was grand”. You can too for that matter. Additional vocals by George Faith, Cedric Myton of the Congos, and a great horn riff by saxaphone player Herman Marquis make this a worthy train ride for Jah.

His early production for Bob Marley and the Wailers proved that Scratch was a force to be reckoned with. He furthered his genius reputation during the 70′s with his heavy ganga/extra terrestrial/crazy shoes wearing/ and anything else out of this solar system laced Dub tracks. This sound affected many musicians. Perry influenced a generation of of musicians (the Clash, the Beastie Boys, Paul and Linda McCartney, and a myriad of his reggae bretheren that either imitated or were produced by him), and still continues to make music and produce today. Like I said in my last post, he will be performing June 13th at the legendary Stone Pony here in Asbury Park. If you can get to the show, I would say do it, before we lose another one of the great Reggae musicians and producers of our time. I’ll be back shortly with some more of the good stuff, so until then: Keep Diggin’!

For those interested in learning more about reggae culture, I’d recommend these books, which are in my collection:

The Story of Jamaican Music by Lloyd Bradley

Reggae Explosion – The Story of Jamaican Music by Adrian Boot and Chris Salewicz

“Special Request” Reggae Mix

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Special Request - Reggae Gems from the Vault

Greetings to the Flea Market Funk Family. This weekend I dug deep in the crates and pulled out some Reggae gems from the early to mid 70′s and all the way up until the 80′s. These particular selections are from various 45′s, 12″s, and Lp’s I’ve picked up throughout the years, and also from a huge 7″ Reggae haul I got last summer (Thanks Grant!). On this mix I tried to visit some not so popular selections by some well known Reggae legends, as well as some covers, and a few not so known artists doing some hot tracks. There is Dub, Dancehall, Roots, and even some Rocksteady, a lickle bit of it all. It clocks in at just over 55 minutes. This time I’ve included a front and back cover with the track list. “The Special Request Mix” will be leading up to my next review, which is Lee “Scratch” Perry and Junior Mervin teaming up with “Roots Train No. 1″ on Black Art Records. Coincidentally, Lee Perry will be here in Asbury Park at the famous Stone Pony on June 13th. I highly recommend checking this show out. I’ve seen him before with Mad Professor, and let’s face it, he’s not getting any younger. I doubt he will be back in Asbury Park again. This is a chance to see the man who is synonymous with the word Dub. Again, a show not to be missed.

Reggae has been such a great passion of mine ever since I was young and introduced to record labels such as Studio One, Trojan, RAS, Shanachie, and of course Tuff Gong( through the music of Robert Nest Marley). There was a family friend who used to make tapes for my sister and I when we were in our teens. He had everything from Marley, to Steel Pulse, to Aswad, to Yellowman and more on these tapes. Their family ran a clamming business, and he always labeled his mixes “Live from Blackey’s Studio”. I’ll never forget that. So here’s to Chuck, and the many others who pointed me down the right path as a youth with music. Another big shout out to goes to Jah-Nee Gill from MTV’s Tempo network. He’s doin’ his ting proper. Big ups (insert airhorn here). Enjoy the “Special Request” – Reggae Gems From the Vault Vol. 1. and Keep Diggin’!

Special Request Cover
Special Request Track List Back Cover

Special Request Mix – Reggae Gems From the Vault. Mixed and Selected by DJ Prestige Live from the Flea Market Funk Studios 2007

Jackie Lee – The Chicken

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Jackie Lee

Jackie Lee The Chicken

Jackie Lee – The Chicken on the Uni 45

I’m hoping that the Workin’ and Movin’ Mix from early this week held you over until today’s post. I’m trying to work on a better method of hosting my mixes, as they can be quite large in size. I’ve shifted to ZShare for my larger mixes, and am doing some research on embedded players, as the DivShare embedded player has not been successful for me so far. At any rate, enough of the technical stuff (but if anyone has any suggestions in regards to this matter, I’m all ears.) I’d like to shout out TMO for hepping me to the cats over at WeFunk Radio (what’s up Professor Groove and DJ Static?) spreading the word about FMF. Good looking out. I’ve been a fan of WeFunk for a minute and think that they do radio right. If there is an opening in Montreal for some rare grooves, hit me up guys.

I’m gonna travel to sunny Los Angeles this time and visit with Mr. Earl Nelson aka Chip Nelson, aka Earl Cosby aka Jay Dee and his famous recording alias, Jackie Lee. Starting out in Doo Wop and making the natural progression towards the new R & B sound, Earl scored a hit in “Harlem Shufffle” with his duo Bob and Earl on Marc Records., featuring a young Barry White on piano. I finally picked up a copy of this, and if you don’t have it, I definitely advise you to cop this piece of vinyl. That particular song has been covered numerous times, most notably by the Rolling Stones. Who can forget the House of Pain’s use of the beginning horns? That review will be for another day. The song I’m speaking about this time, is “The Chicken” on Uni Records. He was on this label with groups like The Strawberry Alarm Clock, Hugh Masekela, Neil Diamond, and The Coz aka Mr. Bill Cosby. However, every time I’m digging and see a Uni label, I’m looking for Desmond Dekker, Marvin Holmes & the Uptights (If any one has “OOh OOh the Dragon hit me up), or anything unusual. From the first needle drop on the old Fisher Price, I knew this was unusual indeed. Even though Lee’s biggest hit was 1965′s “The Duck” , which spawned dances galore, for me it’s all about “The Chicken”. This chicken of a song is fried hard and shit (insert Fugees skit there, because that’s where I stole it from).

Ok it’s Southern fried hard baby, so get on the dance floor and do that Chicken children. For some reason, this cat had a string of hits and they all had a particular dance. Lucky for us it this particular dance stayed in 1970, but the record ended up in Hazelt N.J. for me in 2007. From the opening guitar lick Lee struts to this funky beat and just doesn’t quit until you’ve got the moves down. It teeters on the verge of Disco, but there are too many Funk elements in it for me to fully commit and label it all Disco. Uni had a few (and few is being generous) Soul and Funk artists, and Jackie Lee is definitely one you can look for. This of course wasn’t his strongest record, but one of those that makes you glad it isn’t, because not all artists strongest records are your favorite. I’ll be back at the end of the week with another funky jewel. Until then, Keep Diggin’!

Workin’ & Movin’ Mix

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Aaah yes, we’re Workin’ & Movin’ early this week here at Flea Market Funk. I’ve was in the Lab Sunday night, picking out some records that must see the light of day. I wanted to put down the 45s after a heavy session on Friday night, and get into my crates and pull out a hand full of favorite Lps. I will definitely be reviewing a lot (if not all) of these records in the future, but for now I thought I’d give the ever growing family here a small taste of what’s yet to come, and there is a lot more to come for sure. This mix has a healthy portion of deep funk, some sweet soul, and I even touch a bit on some funky rock. I threw in a modern funk track plus another great reissue from 1996 from the guys at Luv N’ Haight. I’m trying to catch up on doing some mixes, so keep your ears out for a jazz mix and also a reggae mix on the horizon. I’m still going through a suitcase of Jamaician 45s and 12″s I got this past year, so that’s in the near future. Also, a double podcast collaboration with Funky 16 Corners is in the works like I mentioned in a previous post. It looks like I’ve got my work cut out for me. For now, sit back, relax, and start your week off right courtesy of FMF. Before I go, I’d like to say thanks again to all the DJs and supporters of the last Asbury Park 45 Sessions. As usual, you all brought your A game, and made the night successful once more. I’ll be back midweek with some more goodies. Keep Diggin’!

Workin & Movin

FMF Workin’ & Movin’ Mix by DJ Prestige

For those who are keeping score, here’s the track listing:

El Michels Affair – Easy Action/ Soul Fire
Richard Evans – Patutu/ Atlantic
Quincy Jones – Hikky Burr/ A & M
Everyday People – Nova Scotia Home Blues/ Paramount
Eugene Blacknell & the New Breed – Getting Down/ Luv N’ Haight
Johnny Hammond – Breakout/ Kudu
Fatback Band – Gotta Have You/ Perception
East Harlem Bus Stop – Get On Down/ D&M Sound
Rhinoceros – Insanity/ Elektra
Herbie Mann – Memphis Underground/ Atlantic
Hank Crawford – Funky Rooster/ Kudu
Otis Redding – Groovin’ Time/ Atco
David T. Walker – Superstition / Ode Records
Jimmy McGriff – Fat Cakes/ Capitol
Black Heat – Chip’s Funk/ Atlantic
Creative Source – Magic Carpet Ride/ Sussex
Port Authority Soul Band – Scoobe/ United States Navy Records
Les McCann – El Soul-O/ Pacific Jazz

Funkadelic – Music For My Mother

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Funkadelic

Music For My Mother 45

Funkadelic – Music For My Mother from the Westbound 45

Running on some extremely good Costa Rican coffee (roasted right here in AP) I obtained from Asbury Park Roastery , I bring you the weekend edition of Flea Market Funk. It’s a day to honor your mother, and what better way to say it through some funk, courtesy of Funkadelic and “Music for My Mother” on Westbound. Some of you might have noticed I took a clip of this track on my intro to the Saturday Night Waffle Mix, which I was just tipped to that it’s on some Russian music board for download. I guess Funk and Soul mixes travel around the world fast, so to the Russian States fans of FMF, I say welcome, strap yourself in, and enjoy the ride.

When this record came out in 1970, George Clinton had already lost the name from his previous band, The Parliaments from his former record label. The hairdresser by day enlisted the back up band to step forward into the limelight (Funkadelic the name copped by Billy Nelson and his bandmates fondness for the Lysergic and the sound they produced ), and he and his former band mates (the singers) took a step back. So essentially the backing band became the stars, and Clinton and co. took a back seat. This chess move enabled him to get around losing the original name, but keep the band, ya dig? Following suit to the psychedelic sound of Jimi Hendrix and Sly Stone, this essentially black rock band put the “F” in fuzz. Clinton took guitarist Eddie Hazel’s signature fuzzed out sound (rumored to be discovered after they borrowed Vanilla Fudge’s amps for a gig) and recorded a down home Funk, Psychedelic Soul, and bluesy record that would define the Funkadelic sound from then on. This record, as mentioned previously was recorded on Westbound, out of Detroit. The city being marred by race riots the previous year, civil rights disturbances in the city and around the country, the assassination of MLK and Malcom X, and the formation of the Black Panther Party all were contributing factors to the underlying tone of Funkadelic’s recordings. It may sound like they were having a good time (of course they were), but there were some dark times, drug use, the Vietnam War, and an ever changing world for this band to deal with. Couple those feelings with a dabble in LSD and psychedelic culture, and you’ve got a very unique sound that Funkadelic are known for. Although at the time they did not enjoy the same success as Sly or Jimi, their sound is one that has been influential throughout the years. It’s kind of funny, as I type this, a Honda commercial came on TV with a P-Funk song helping to sell a mini van.

Spinning spaced out tales of raw funk, shouting spiritual chants and keeping a bad ass groove (and by the way, they were B-A-D way before Michael Jackson shouted it), this track smokes (whether they were on the Cannibus or LSD) from start to finish. Tiki Fullwood , Eddie Hazel and Billy Nelson stay in the pocket hard. I know I talk about slow groovers, and this is no exception. It’s slow grooving all right, but add the fuzzed out sound via some acid rock guitar, some heavy funk sound and it’s on til the break of dawn.

I can not recommend this track enough. This was the first time I’ve seen the record out digging and couldn’t pass it up. I encourage you to get it if you see it. Here’s to all the Mothers out there. Happy Mother’s Day, and as always Keep Diggin’!

05.11.07 45 Sessions Wrap Up

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Slurp! Slurp!

Early Saturday morning greeting to the Flea Market Funk Family. I’ve just barely got my morning cup of Tanzanian Peaberry down (I need some strong coffee today!), but I had to get a little recap and some photos up from last night’s Asbury Park 45 Sessions. As always, the Funk and Soul were represented lovely by all of our resident DJs (sans Jack the Ripper unfortunately who was out on sabbatical). We had a strong Northern Soul set from Jay Boxcar, followed by Connie T. Empress and her Johhny Jones and the King Casuals cover of “Purple Haze” (which drove the trainspotters wild), Funky 16 Corners who lit the tables on fire, Special Guest DJ Bluewater, who killed it with the heaviest set of the night, yours truly serving up some tasty treats, M.Fasis, who always brings some dancefloor and sample based heat, and the closer, DJ Prime, who had ‘em slurping to funk, grooving to some rock steady, and taunted the crowd by pulling a Keb Darge and saying: “F**k it, I’m flipping this record over and playing this break, I don’t care!”. The crowd loved it. This was a really strong showing from the DJS and of course the crowd, which danced and moved all night long. Below are some photos of the night, my set list, and for everyone’s set list, visit Funky 16 Corners sometime over the weekend, as I’m sure they’re be filtering in as people recover. I’ll have a special Mother’s Day for you this weekend record, so until then, Keep Diggin’!

DJ Prestige 05.011.07 Asbury Park 45 Sessions Set List:

Funkadelic – Music For my Mother/ Westbound
The 8th Day – She’s Not Just Another Woman/ Invictus
The Meters – Hey! Last Minute/ Josie
Calvin Arnold – Funky Way/ Venture
The House Band – Givin’ Up Food For Funk/ Dynamite Soul
Joe Tex – Papa Was Too/ Dial
Sammy Gordon & the Hip Huggers – Breezin’/ Archives
Booker T. and the M.G.’s – Soul Clap ’69/ Stax
The Mohawks – Pepsi/ Sir JJ
The People’s Choice – Big Ladies Man/ Phil L.A. of Soul
The Boys in the Band – Sumptin Heavy/ Spring
Chambers Brothers – Funky/ Columbia
The Continental Four – Escape from Planet Earth/ Jaywalking
Otis and Carla – Tramp/ Stax
Jackie Lee – The Chicken/ Uni
Kool and the Gang – Funky Man/ De-Lite
Willie and the Mighty Magnificents – Funky (8) Corners Part 1/ All Platinum
Bob and Earl – Harlem Shuffle/ Marc
Willie Cobb – You Don’t Love Me/ Dee Jay
Double Trouble – People Are Changing/ Sure Shot
J.J. Jackson – I Dig Girls/ Calla
Skip Jackson and the Natural Experience – Microwave Boogie/ Catamount
The Interpretations – Soul Affection/ Bell
Panic Buttons – O-Wow/ Chalom
Cliff Nobles & Co. – The Horse/ Phil L.A. of Soul
Breakout – Planet Rock Part 1/ Melting Pot Music

Now the photos:
Yours Truly Repping Flea Market Funk
Yours Truly Repping Flea Market Funk
Connie T. Empress driving the kids wild!
Connie T. Empress
Funky 16 Corners showing us how it’s done.
Funky 16 Corners
Jay Boxcar brings the Northern Soul
Jay Boxcar
DJ Bluewater shaking the walls with his selections.
DJ Bluewater
M.Fasis spins a what we call funk-ay stuff.
MFasis
DJ Prime repping Prime Cuts Ltd. He was a funk machine. Who knew he had mic skills?
DJ Prime
Dionne always out and about.
Dionne
Some late night dancefloor shots.
Dance! Dance!

The Ray Charles Orchestra – Booty Butt

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Ray Charles

Booty Butt 45

Ray Charles Orchestra – Booty Butt/ Tangerine 45

I’d like to thank each and everyone who’s visited this past week, as I’ve got record numbers of hits, which means I have to be doing something right. I’m hoping that everyone enjoyed my Funky Asbury Park mix, and look forward to doing another one in the next couple of weeks. Big ups to Scholar over at Souled On Music who has been sending his Souled on crew over here to FMF. Also props once again to The Step Father of Soul doin’ his thing the right way in the Dirty South. If he’s the Stepfather of Soul, his step children have been visiting my house, and for that I say thanks. Also, if you’re looking for a good read (record or imaginary record related), check out NPR’s story on the one and only Mingering Mike . I got my book last week and it’s really a good read. Check it out!

This time I’m gonna visit a legend, the man who practically invented the genre R & B, Ray Charles. I’m not gonna get too into his life and times, for that you can check out the movie “Ray”, or schlep on over to Wikipedia to get the consensus view on his life. What more can I say as a DJ and collectro that hasn’t already been said? The man has fused jazz, 50′s rock, R & B, soul, blues, gospel, hell even country all together to become an institution in the music game. Recently, PBS aired a special entitled: “Atlantic Records: The House That Ahmet Built” on it’s American Masters series. It was a brilliant piece, and the section on Charles, who speaks candidly and reminisces with Ahmet Ertung on their history together is definitely something special. If you haven’t seen it, I urge you to hit up Netflix or On Demand and check it out. It’s two hours of your life, but if you’re a music head like myself, you’ll come out of it with lots of stuff you didn’t know.

Let’s talk about this straight up funky groover of a record. Recorded in 1971, with an orchestra ( Charles was definitely comfortable with or without one ), it’s kind of out of character for him, but of course he pulls it off well. By this time he was gone from Atlantic and had moved to ABC for the money one can only surmise. His output of records was considerably different from when he and Ahmet were churning out R & B and Soul hit after hit at Atlantic. He had gone down the pop road and well, “Booty Butt” seems a bit out of the ordinary. Whatever his motivation, I’m glad he decided to put it out. It slow cooks with the piano maestro going back and forth with a funk guitar riff until it boils out some saxaphone. Throw in his trademark hollering blues style, lots of “Booty Booty” calling, spot on percussion, and Ray Charles has what we call here at Flea Market Funk: funk for days. This record is one of my favorites of Charles, and if you see this version on the Tangerine label, don’t hesitate to pick it up. I scored it for cheep (like the budgie), and I know you can too.

Let’s not forget if you’re in the Central NJ area this Friday night, run, walk, skateboard, hitchhike, or use public transportation and get down to the World Famous Asbury Lanes for gig #3 of the Asbury Park 45 Sessions. I’ll be joined of course by Funky 16 Corners , M.Fasis , Connie T. Empress, Jay Boxcar, DJ Prime, Special Guest DJ Bluewater, and a secret set possibly by none other than Don Bombard. You guys know who this cat is, he’s a walking encyclopedia of Funk and Soul, been around the turntable and on the air for a long time, and we’re lucky to have him added on at the last minute. Here’s the flyer once again:

May 11th 45 Asbury Park Sessions

For those of you who like to plan early, our next Asbury Park 45 Sessions will be on July 6th, so mark your calanders accordingly. I’m working on some new DJs from around the country to keep this party solid the whole year through. Keep Diggin’!

Deodato – Also Sprach Zarathurstra (2001) plus Bonus Track

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Deodato

Deodato 2001 45

Deodato – Also Sprach Zarathurstra (2001) from the CTI 45

Early week greetings to Flea Market Funk Family. With the Asbury Park 45 Sessions five days away, I’m eager to throw out a few gems this week as I get my set ready and jump into yet another funk and soul fest with some of the greatest tri-state diggers I am proud to call my friends. I’m hoping you all enjoyed the impromptu Funky Asbury Park mix. Keep your eyes and ears peeled for a double podcast coming your way in the future. That’s right, the great one over at Funky 16 Corners and I will be collaborating on a double podcast for your collective ears in the future. When we get together, it’s always a good time. This will be our first mix (of many I’m hoping), so you know it’s going to be a heavy one.

I’m taking you folks to Brazil this time. I have a bit of Brazillian stuff, and today I’d like to visit a cat who has definitely been sampled by the likes of Pete Rock and CL Smooth, Camp Lo, Black Sheep, the Cocoa Brovaz, Dialated Peoples, Lord Finesse and many more. This genius I speak of is the one and only Eumir Deodato. He was arranging music for orchestras at 17 in Brazil, was self taught on the keyboards, and played beside Astrud Gilberto. He decided to make the move to the United States sometime in 1967.

While in the States, he made a mark (and a good name for himself) arranging for people like Roberta Flack, playing on records by Aretha Franklin, Bette Midler, Frank Sinatra, and later on in his career Kool and the Gang. I discovered him on CTI, the Creed Taylor run label, which IMO was way before it’s time. With slick, glossy gate folds, superb photography (you could buy an 11 x 14 glossy print of the album cover for $19.50!), and an equally impressive stable of session players, CTI definitely is a fave of mine as far as record companies go. I rarely pass up artists on CTI, even if they’re turds. It’s something about the album itself that always draws me in. I can’t pass up players like Ron Carter, Idris Muhammad, Hubert Laws, Billy Cobham, Wes Montgomery, Jobim, Stanely Turrentine, George Benson, and I’m not even scratching the surface. Praised by hip hop producers, this label has been sampled a bunch, and like I said, I’m definitely a fan. If anyone has a CTI shirt I will gladly take it off your hands.

By 1971 Deodato was well on his way as a bandleader. This funk jazz interpretation of Strauss classical piece put him on the map even further. It actually won a Grammy as Best Pop Instrumental, and was the biggest record for Deodato and CTI ever. The record itself was recorded at Englewood Cliffs Studio, and for you jazz heads out there, you know it could only have been engineered by the one and only Rudy Van Gelder of Blue Note Records fame. Deodato enlisted players like the aformentioned Laws, Cobham, and Carter, but added percussion from Ray Baretto, the guitar of John Tropea, and even more bass from Stanley Clarke. Not so much of an uptempo groover, this mid-tempo track moves fluidly, and Deodato shines nicely on the keys, as the rhythm section keeps up with the Brazilian master the whole 5 minutes plus. With a lineup like Creed Taylor had on his label, I can’t understand why there wouldn’t be some hits churned out, like Ralph Wiggum said: “It’s umpossible”.

Hoctor 2001 Theme 45

Now we’re gonna turn to another version of this song, simply entitled “Theme from 2001″, which is on Hoctor Records. Hoctor was a dance company that has put out a bunch of cover versions of songs. Songs like “Cissy Strut”, “The Theme From Blackbelt Jones” and others were keeping dance classes moving and grooving throughout the 70′s. It must’ve been funny to see people tap dancing or whatever they were learning in those classes to these funk groovers, of course all covered by some house band. At any rate, I thought I’d throw in a funky cover of a cover in this post. I dig both versions, and hope you will too. I’ll be back midweek with some more goodness. Thanks for stopping by. Keep Diggin’!

Hoctor Records House Band – Theme from 2001

Funky Asbury Park Mix

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Funky Asbury Park

Last month I gave you the Saturday Night Waffle Mix, this month I’m throwing out a special nugget in light of the Asbury Park 45 Sessions at the World Famous Asbury Lanes on May 11th. Here’s the Funky Asbury Park Mix, a little gift from me to you here at FMF. Thanks for the support thus far, I really appreciate it! Thanks for all the kind words, suggestions, and for making this little thing I call Flea Market Funk a daily stop on the intranets (as my good friend Funky 16 Corners calls it!) for so many of you. I promise more good times are ahead, and if you’re in the Central NJ area next Friday night, I urge you to come out and see how we do it live.

On this particular mix we’ve got good representation, from the sweet Soul of The Persuaders, to some not so commercial tunes by the Meters, Kool and the Gang, and Curtis Mayfield. I’ve also thrown in a Stax gem from Booker T. and the M.G.’s, as well as some reissue/ reworked funk courtesy of Kenny Dope, a strong reissue from the geniuses at Luv N’ Haight Records, and some obscure Holland cats covering James Brown. But wait, there’s more. If you listen to the aforementioned tracks, you also get some Lou Courtney, Eddie Harris (plug me in!), and a dusty groove on Archives Records. Here’s the lineup:

The Persuaders – Love Gonna Pack Up and Walk Out/ Win or Lose
Soft Touch – Plenty Action / Luv N’ Haight
The House Band – (Givin Up Food) For Funk/ Dynamite Soul
Joe Tex – Papa Was Too/ Dial
Booker T. and the M.G.’s – Soul Clap ‘69/ Stax
Sammy Gordon & The Hiphuggers – Breezin’/ Archives
Curtis Mayfield – Mother’s Son/ Curtom
The Meters – Hey! Last Minute/ Josie
C and the Shells – Funky Tamborine (Part 1)/ Zanzee
Eddie Harris – Get On Up and Dance/ Atlantic
Andre Williams – Cadillac Jack/ Chess
Kool and the Gang – Funky Man/ De-Lite
Lou Courtney – Do the Thing/ Riverside
Double Trouble – People Are Changing/ Sure Shot
Outro: Bud Harper – Mr. Soul/ Peacock

Funky Asbury Park Mix All 45, All Live, All Fun-kay!

Enjoy your weekend all, I’m hoping to dig out some gold at my spot tomorrow, and I’ve got a few good ones lined up for review this week. Until then, enjoy the mix and Keep Diggin’!

Dyke and the Blazers – We Got More Soul

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Dyke and the Blazers

We Got More Soul

Thanks to everyone who has been throwing the funk and soul love my way, from Georgia to Sweden and the West Coast of the U.S. I never realize here on the web how many people check out what I do here at Flea Market Funk, and am always amazed when I check out a comment from Italy or some other country. I honestly do this for the love of music, and I appreciate people taking the time to read my reviews, listen to my music, and give me feedback. I’d once again like to thank Dr. Bobby Fulton for contributing the Continental Four photos and giving his personal take on the band. I’m hoping that in future blogs I can revisit some other Soulville/ Jaywalking artists for review.

This time we’re gonna visit Phoenix, Arizona via Buffao, NY. The band I’m speaking of is none other than Dyke and the Blazers. I believe I got introduced to these guys sometime in the late 90′s while I was scouring around for funk and soul records, just before or around the time of the Brainfreeze craze that shot the price of this record and other commons like it off the charts. I stumbled on a “Funky Broadway” on Original Sound, the same label this track is off of, at my local digging spot. I was rather naive, but excited none the less about the track. I am a little bit more excited and a lot less naive in regards to this track, however, “We Got More Soul”.

Arlester “Dyke” Christian, from Buffalo, NY, was singing a bit and playing the bass for the band that backed the O’Jays during the 1960′s. Here’s where the Phoenix part comes in. The O’Jays can’t afford to fly Dyke and the some of the Blazers home to Buffalo (or maybe they don’t feel like going home, the story is not crystal clear). They decide to stay, and viola! Dyke and the Blazers are a Phoenix band, release “Funky Broadway” on Artco in ’66, distributed then by Art Laboe’s Original Sound out of LA, it gets covered by lots, but best by Wilson Pickett, and the band (and man) who just wanted to play music for music has a hit. It’s true that DATB were a cheap imitation of one James Brown. The point people miss is that they were a good imitation of the Godfather of Soul. They even give a nod to Mr. Dynamite as in this song. They were calling music funk before it was called funk. One could debate that Brown did it first, and that is true. Either way, both were churning out music that was indeed funk at around the same time. Imitation is the best form of flattery.

“We Got More Soul” tells the world just that. We have James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Johnny Taylor, Ray Charles, and damn if they all didn’t have Soul and were doin’ their thing. Who’s gonna listen? Dyke preached on vinyl and at clubs to the common man, Mr. Everyday, not to the masses in radio land (he never thought “Funky Broadway” would hit), but the people who went and listened to this kind of a record on a juke box in a sweaty juke joint in the wrong part of town. These were his congregation, and IMO, I think this was him staying true to that form of thinking, letting people know in not so many words, this is who our people have, and they all have Soul. The signature DATB gritty funk sound is present throughout this track. Dyke and The Blazers often recorded with members of The Watts 103rd Street Band, and included, surprise, surprise, Mr. James Gadson on drums, and guitarist Al Mackay, who later went on with Earth, Wind, and Fire. With veteran studio and club cats like that on their tracks, their sound remained raw. DATB disbanded in 1971, and after that Dyke was shot and killed in Phoenix. Although their career was not filled with hits, Dyke and the Blazers left an indelible mark in Funk and Soul music. Keep Diggin’!

Dyke and the Blazers – We Got More Soul ripped from the Original Sound 45

Billy Stewart – Summertime

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Billy Stewart

Billy Stewart Summertime 45

I’m starting out this post by shouting out a new member of the Flea Market Funk Family, the Mighty Stepfather of Soul who has been turning a good number of people on to this ever growing audio blog. Check out what he’s got goin’ on over there, because it’s red hot.

Not quite summertime yet, but I’d thought I would throw out some summer vibes in light of the month of May being here already. It’s been covered by many (try over 2600 people), and this record has been getting a lot of spins on the Flea Market Funk turntables. This version by Billy Stewart on Chess Records is very unique, and is slowly becoming my favorite. I included it on my Saturday Night Waffle Mix, so without further ado, let’s get the ball rolling with the original fast talker.

Here’s another cat that started out singing gospel early on in life, moving from spirituals and hymnals to a being a substitute in Don Covay’s (if you haven’t checked out his version of “Money”, I highly recommend it) Rainbows group out of DC. Discovered by Bo Diddly, this stout young man went on as a backing musician, recorded some for Okeh records, and then hit the road. Coming back to Chess in the early 60′s, it was here he struck up his friendship/writing partnership with Billy Evans. Shortly after, in 1964, he released two of his greatest hits: “I Do Love You”, and “Sitting In the Park”. In 1966 he finally cut a record of all standards for Chess (once again he was back in the Chess stable) in 1966. This is where we get his stunning version of “Summertime”. Having a knack to do some unique vocal stylings, Stewart was known to double up his words and talk fast, thus earning him his nickname, “Motor Mouth”.

The beginning of this record starts with a tongue roll, and could very well have been jacked by Prince Markie Dee and crew, aka the Fat Boys, who rapped and beatboxed their way to stardom some 20 years later. Of course this is wishful thinking on my part. (I can say, however, that I have definitely heard that tongue roll sampled quite a few times on mix tapes, break records, and live DJ sets. ) A heavy drum break comes in courtesy of Maurice White (who would later go on to play with his group Earth, Wind, and Fire). What follows, I can only describe as controlled mayhem. Using the backing band for this track, Stewart chose the regular line up for the Chess studio sessions. This included Louis Satterfield on bass, Pete Cosley on guitar, and Sonny Thompson on piano. Stewart scats, hoots, and hollers his way through the entire 2 minutes and 38 seconds. In fact, the man doesn’t come up for air. He kills it! As I mentioned before, he was a bigger man, and I would have loved to see him move and groove to the break down in this classic when he played it live. Sadly, Stewart and three band members were killed in 1970 when their car drove off a North Carolina bridge. Although had his unfortunate passing, he leaves behind a good deal of recordings, and one helluva cover in “Summertime”. Keep Diggin’!

Billy Stewart – Summertime Ripped from the Chess 45

***Tonight, I received an e mail from the Dr. Bobby Fulton, from Soulville/ Jaywalking Records in regards to the Continental Four review I did. He sent me over a few personal photos of the band, as well as a few personal memories. I will be posting them to that said review. Enjoy!